Mac Applications & Utilities offers a great way to get the most out of your Catalina toting MacBook Pro or MacBook Air. Some users prefer to pack their device with easy-to-use tools that smooth their workflow, while others prefer to have complex utilities that might take time to set up but saves time in the long run. THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

• Mac Os X Download
• Best Free Mac Apps 2020
• Free Apps For Macbook Air
• Best Free Mac Apps 2015 List
• Free Mac Apps Downloads

If you think you might need an FTP app, CyberDuck is an oldie but a goodie - and can be downloaded for free. If you go to the Mac App Store, it'll cost you £17.99. Go to the website. Stockfolio – Stocks Portfolio 1.8.1. Stockfolio is an investment app for macOS that will help improve your investment returns by allowing you to research and track interesting stocks and cryptocurrencies. It is extremely easy to set up and the best way to manage and follow your investment portfolio. August 23, 2021.

Get the perfect suite of Mac Apps that meet your needs, ease your daily tasks & increases productivity!

Which Apps Should I Have On My MacBook Pro?

All these Best Mac Software should help you squeeze more productive hours out of everyday use.

Best Paid Mac Cleaner

1. Disk Clean Pro

All-round Mac Optimization & Cleaning utility, Disk Clean Pro is an excellent tool to clean, optimize & protect your Mac with a package of features. As the name itself suggests, Disk Clean Pro scans out junk, log & unused files, and possesses ways to optimize the system. Here are all the benefits that come along with this best Mac solution!

FEATURES: Disk Clean Pro

• System cleaner
• Logs cleaner
• Trash cleaner
• Cleaning partial downloads
• Duplicate finder
• Internet privacy
• Shredder

Best Free Mac Cleaner

2. App Cleaner & Uninstaller Pro

App Cleaner is another best cleaning solution for your Mac machine. It helps you delete unwanted applications safely along with leftover files to recover huge chunks of space. You can use the Mac cleaner to disable, hide login items & launch agents so that no residues or unwanted files hamper your performance. Listed are the functionalities offered by App Cleaner!

FEATURES: App Cleaner & Uninstaller Pro

• Finds & removes Mac widgets & Internet plugins.
• Remove multiple Mac apps & associated files in one go.
• Locate & delete broken service files without any hassles.
• It helps you recover lots of storage space.
• Observe a noticeable performance boost.

Mac Os X Download

Best Paid Antivirus For Mac

1. Norton AntiVirus Plus

Norton Antivirus Plus is a reliable Mac Antivirus solution to have stable and all-round protection for your MacBook. The software runs fast & detects malicious threats accurately. The Mac utility offers Real-Time Threat Protection, a Password Manager, Smart Firewall & 2GB of Cloud Backup, to store important files & prevent them from data loss. Norton offers multiple versions, based on device use!

FEATURES: Norton AntiVirus Plus

• A built-in firewall for ideal protection.
• Finds & eliminates potential malware, spyware, online threats & other viruses.
• Capable of catching phishing emails that might trick you into compromising personal data.
• Cloud Storage for safeguarding personal documents.
• Automated backup.
• Parental Controls.

Paid Mac App For Increasing Productivity

1. Airmail 3

For Apple users, who are not happy with the native design of macOS mail. Having Airmail 3 on their machine can completely transform the way & feel of handling emails. It helps you get a clear, systemized & Gmail-like interface on MacBook Pro. The Mac app comes with a customizable interface for easy email management. You can schedule emails, snooze it & manage your daily tasks for better productivity.

FEATURES: Airmail 3

• Easy to set up.
• Highly customizable for better management.
• Snooze messages for convivence.
• Lets you treat emails like tasks.

Free Mac App For Increasing Productivity

2. Alfred

Similar to your Mac’s built-in ‘Spotlight’ search, Alfred helps in making a hassle-free search on your machine while keeping your fingers on the keyboard, rather than on mouse. The Mac utility is perfect for those suffering from mouse-related repetitive stress. You can use Alfred, to search for folders, files & even surf the web using just your keyboard.

FEATURES: Alfred

• Lets you search & browse with ease.
• With Alfred’s clipboard history, you don’t need to type the same URLs again.
• You can link keywords & hotkeys to create a customized workflow.
• You can perform math calculations in a jiffy.
• And perform other basic tasks without any hassles.

Best Paid App For MacBook Pro For Writers

1. Scrivener

Scrivener is nothing short of the most comprehensive writing program around. It offers all the essential tools you’ll need to get started as a writer. The Mac app is packed with various brainstorming tools, a virtual draft board for pinning ideas & note cards. It offers a dedicated section for storing research docs for quick access. What’s more?

FEATURES: Scrivener

• Comes with dozens of project templates for Screenplays, Novels, Stories etc.
• Import different file types.
• Get familiar with different writing & formatting types & tools.
• Name generator.
• Live word counts.
• Export to Word.
• Print or create PDF files.

Best Free App For MacBook Pro For Writers

2. Grammarly

Spell-check on iPhones are awesome, but it’s not that greats on Mac machines. That’s why Grammarly shines. It’s available as a dedicated Mac Application & as a Safari extension. You can rely on this freemium Mac application to do powerful spelling & grammar checking. Grammarly arrives as a true life savior for anyone who works with clumsy typing fingers.

FEATURES: Grammarly

• Just drag & drop documents you would like to proofread.
• Makes sure that anything you write is effective, precise & error-free.
• It offers a bunch of context-free suggestions to polish your writing.
• Compatible with platforms like Facebook, Twitter & almost anywhere on the web.

Must-Have Paid PDF Editor For MacBook

1. PDF Expert

Having to work with PDFs is a fact of life. Fortunately, PDF Expert makes the task super-easy. The Mac software doesn’t allow you to fill out the forms or merge PDF files, but it also offers users great editing tools. You can rely on PDF Expert to annotate, sign PDF files without any hassles. Here are some of the benefits that make it one of the Best PDF Editor for Mac.

FEATURES: PDF Expert

• Edit PDF text, images, links & outlines.
• Its quick annotations, hassle-free form filing & file merging completely the task in record time.
• Convert PDF files to popular formats such as Word, Pages, Docs, etc.
• It helps you create signatures with a single click.
• Helps users to share the documents to clients, co-workers & everyone in between through built-in options.

Must-Have Free PDF Editor For MacBook

2. PDFelement 6 – PDF Editor

A complete package of editing tools such as PDF Editor, Annotator, Converter, Reader, Form Filler & much more. PDFelement is an amazing PDF solution to change the way you work & manage your important files. Be it basic key features to edit, delete, cut, change font attributes, edit a hyperlink, or advanced tools to combine, convert, reorganize PDFs. PDFelement 6 has everything you’ll need!

FEATURES: PDFelement Pro

• Fill PDF forms.
• Extract, crop, delete, insert pages.
• Convert PDFs to popular file formats, including DOCX, PNG, JPG, GIF, BMP, etc.
• Combine different file formats into a new PDF.
• Set a password to protect files from being opened by unauthorized users.
• Support printing, send PDFs, save files to cloud storage such as Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.

Also Read: 7 Best App Uninstaller For Mac to Remove Unwanted Apps

Best Paid Mac App For Students

1. Setapp

Setapp is like Netflix for Mac applications. It provides users with a library of Mac utilities, just ready to install on your machine. You can explore a huge range of software & apps, for nearly every task to be done on your Mac. Be it a Duplicate Finder, Mac Cleaner, Personal Budgeting, Task Manager, Coding, Blogging, etc. you name it & you can get it all for a single monthly fee.

FEATURES: Setapp

• Just pay a subscription-free for $9.99 & you can have access to more than 120+ Mac apps.
• Use the number of best mac software under one subscription.
• Several Mac utilities get added to Setapp.
• Suitable for students & freelancers to get a handy toolkit of major apps all under one license fee.

Best Free Mac App For Students

2. iStudiez Pro

It’s a task organizer & planner app, designed specifically for students. You can use iStudiez Pro to manage all types of schedules & everyday jobs easily. A special section is dedicated to keeping track of homework, assignments & other projects. You can organize them as per date or by priority to sort them into pending & completed tasks.

FEATURES: iStudiez Pro

• Clean & intuitive interface.
• Track your grades. An option to calculate GPA based on current & past semesters.
• Follow up with your homework.
• Organize your schedule.
• Everything can be synced across all the devices (iPhone, iPad or both) for easy access.

Best Mac Software For Photographers (Paid)

1. Duplicate Photos Fixer

Removing duplicates means removing unnecessary junk. Since most of the aspiring & pro photographers deal with lots of exact and similar-looking pictures. A Mac Software like Duplicate Photos Fixer would of great use to manage those duplicate, edited & resized photos, which are saved under different names. It’s one of the best apps for MacBook Pro to manage huge photo collection, delete unnecessary duplicates & reclaim huge storage space.

FEATURES: Duplicate Photos Fixer

• Easy-to-use & user-friendly interface.
• Find & remove both identical & similar looking photos.
• Different scanning modes for accurate identification.
• Auto-mark duplicates so that you don’t need to select the detected duplicates manually.
• Recover huge chunks of space by clearing dupes.
• Supports multiple file formats.
• Review results before deleting duplicates.

Best Mac Software For Photographers (Free)

2. Pixelmator

Pixelmator boasts a massive bunch of powerful photo editing features to help you touch & enhance images with fun. The Mac software is designed to integrate seemingly well with macOS Catalina’s fresh & modern look. It’s power-packed tools, lets you draw, paint, apply dazzling effects & create amazing compositions without many hassles.

FEATURES: Pixelmator

• Top-notch painting tools.
• Lots of retouching tools.
• Correct wrinkles, repair scratches & lighten specific areas.
• A plethora of drawing tools to apply shadows, strokes & more effortlessly.
• Breath-taking effects.

Also Read: Top Ten Duplicate File Finders For Mac

Editor’s Choice Mac Apps

1. Photos Exif Editor

Photos Exif Editor is a fast, reliable & easy-to-use Mac software to help users read, write & modify EXIF information/metadata from single or multiple photos at once. EXIF data is basically a set of data attached to each image you capture. It includes information such as Date, Camera Model, Size, Location & other Camera Settings. Reviewing this data can help you to know a lot about a particular photo. Moreover, you can easily manipulate this data according to different needs!

FEATURES: Photos Exif Editor

• View, edit & modify EXIF, IPTC & XMP photo metadata.
• See camera & lens setting information. This data comes handy if you’re an aspiring photographer.
• Change Geo-location coordinates to disguise the actual location of the picture taken.
• Delete entire metadata in a go, to have complete protection from any type of security threat.
• Supports multiple file formats.

2. Tweak Photos

Tweak Photos is a perfect batch photo editing Mac tool, that brings a plethora of features to alter and enhance images to make it the liveliest. Mac Software has all the essential functionalities to resize, auto-correct, rotate, flip, de-noise, control brightness, sharpness, etc. You can apply lots of beautiful effects, frames, borders & whatnot to make photos look more pleasing & aesthetic.

FEATURES: Tweak Photos

• A perfect set of mesmerizing photo filters & effects to give an exclusive touch to your pictures.
• Create, apply elegant & effective watermarks.
• Keep track of the sequence of effects for better multi-layer management.
• Supports multiple file formats, making it the best batch photo editing software.
• De-noise images without much hassles.
• Rename multiple files at once.
• Convert photos in bulk & more.

Also Read: How to Speedup MacBook Pro: Make Your MacBook Pro Faster

Bottom Line

Discussed Best Mac Apps & Utilities can help you express your creativity, become more productive, enhance security & helps you take care of your MacBook.

FAQs: Best Mac Apps 2020

1. Which Are The Best Apps For MacBook Pro?

Although, your Apple machine comes packed with lots of in-built applications & tools that can fulfill all your basic needs & requirements. But the market has lots of wonderful & useful apps in each category, to make the most out of your machine. Check out the above list to choose the most recommended Mac Software!

2. How Do I Download Apps For Mac?

Since all the aforementioned Mac Software is available on the official App Store, you can follow the steps below to install them on your machine.

1. Open the App Store, using Dock, Launchpad or Spotlight search.
2. Look for the Mac application you would like to install.
3. Click on the Get button or Price to start the installation process. (Get option is for free Mac apps & Price for paid utilities.
4. Enter your Apple ID & Password (If needed).

Enjoy the Best Mac Software on your machine, the new downloaded utility would be visible in the Launchpad app.

3. Do Macs Need Cleaning Software?

Best Free Mac Apps 2020

Unlike Windows PCs, Mac machines don’t have registries. But having the best cleaning utility can certainly help users to reclaim storage space & get rid of unwanted, unused & unnecessary stuff in a few clicks.

Must Read:

Which Mac operating system is the best is a topic of numerous debates among Apple fans.

Since the mission of this blog is to refute myths and legends around Macs, it’s time for me to provide my 2 cents about the issue on hand. While everything below is just my opinion, as a long-time Mac user and veteran software engineer, I hope my opinion worth something.

The best Mac OS version is the one that your Mac is eligible to upgrade to. In 2021 it is macOS Big Sur. However, for users that need to run 32-bit apps on Mac, the best macOS is Mojave. Also, older Macs would benefit if upgraded at least to macOS Sierra for which Apple still releases security patches.

How to Tell Which macOS You Are Running

To find out which macOS is currently running on your Mac, follow these steps:

1. Click on Apple logo in the top left corner of the menubar
2. In the dropdown click on the first item: About This Mac
3. The first line in the Overview tab is the name of the current OS.

What Version of OS Can My Mac Run?

Not all Macs can be upgraded to the latest OS version. For instance, old Macs powered by PowerPC CPUs cannot run OS intended for Intel-based computers. Also, some versions have hardware limitations.

For instance, Mojave cannot be installed on MacBook Pro earlier than Mid 2012 model.

Check below to know exactly what version of OS your Mac can run.

Which OS is Best for my Mac

Anytime someone asks me which OS is best for them I always suggested going with the latest. Things have changed recently, however.

Should I Upgrade to macOS Catalina or Big Sur?

While personally I like macOS Big Sur and have it installed on my MacBook Pro, it comes with serious breaking changes.

The first issue is compatibility.

Big Sur is a transition OS which is designed to help Apple to move from Intel processors to their own chips on ARM.

After I installed Big Sur on my MacBook Pro mid 2020 (pre-Silicon), most of my apps, including Microsoft Office, were working as expected.

However, my VMWare Fusion 11 does not start anymore, so I have to purchase a new license if I want to keep using it (or roll back to Catalina). Luckily, I took a full backup before the upgrade.

The second breaking issue is the lack of 32-bit app support.

macOS Catalina and Big Sur can only run 64-bit apps.

If you wondering whether you should upgrade to macOS Catalina or Big Sur, first verify that you don’t have any 32-bit apps. But first, take a back up, so you can go back in case something breaks after the upgrade.

For instance, I had to remove uTorrent after upgrade. And I didn’t know that uTorrent is 32-bit!

How to Know If App is 32-bit or 64-bit

To find out whether the app on your Mac is 32-bit or 64-bit follow these steps:

1. Click on Apple logo in the top left corner of the Mac screen
2. Click on About This Mac option
3. Click on System Report button in Overview tab (first one)
4. Scroll down to Software -> Applications
5. Find the app and check Kind

Which macOS Should I Use

If you have an older Mac which is not eligible to upgrade with some latest software or hardware, I’d suggest upgrading at least to Sierra (or better High Sierra) for the following reasons:

• Sierra is still supported by Apple, and it gets security updates
• APFS file system is available
• It supports Siri
• Significant security improvements

The most important point when choosing the best OS is the ability to get security updates. While Apple generally does not announce the OS end of life dates, it is possible to know when they stop releasing security updates from this page.

For instance, according to the page, the last security update for OS X Yosemite was released on September 12, 2017. The last update for OS X El Capitan was in July 2018, and Carnegie Mellon University confirmed that El Capitan’s end of life date was August 2018.

Snow Leopard Myth

I know that some users on forums believe that the best OS version for Macs was Snow Leopard. But that is a myth. And I know how such myths get created.

Once I worked in the company, which was selling a 20-year old product. And customers were still using and didn’t want to switch to new versions, because the old one was rock solid.

I then talked to the engineer who worked on the project, and he revealed that the product was a total disaster when it was first deployed. Engineers had to work on-site for almost a year in order to fix all bugs.

After five or so years of polishing the product, it becomes virtually bug-free, and nobody now remembers how bad it was when it was first rolled out. A similar thing happened Snow Leopard, and it was recognized as best mac os version after some time.

How to Update to the Latest Version

There are two ways to update to the latest OS version on Mac:

• From the Software Update section in System Preferences
• Use a download link

Using Software Update

This is by far the best option, but it only available if you have Yosemite, or later OS installed already. If you enabled automatic updates, then Mac will inform you that the next macOS is available.

Just open System Preferences, go to Software Update and click on the Upgrade Now button.

This method is also best if wondering how to check if you have the latest version of OS installed on your Mac. Only the version compatible with your hardware will appear here.

For instance, my the latest version for Mac Mini 2012 is Mojave, I can’t install anything newer than that.

If you are having problems with updates or having issues post-upgrade check my post about troubleshooting macOS.

Using download links

For older systems or in case you need to downgrade, you have to download a standalone installer in DMG format. DMG stands for disk image, similar to ISO, just different formats.

After downloading the installer, just double click on it and follow instructions. Again, do not forget to take a backup before the upgrade.

Mac OS Comparisons: Requirements, Features, Compatibility, Download Links

Following is a high-level description of all Mac operating systems as early as Mountain Lion.

You can refer to those descriptions when deciding which operating system is best for your iMac, Mac Pro, Mac mini, or MacBook.

With each OS description, I included a list of Macs supported. However, you can use Mac OS compatibility checker for more detailed information.

macOS 11 Big Sur

macOS v11 (codename Big Sur) is the latest version of the operating system for Apple computers.

Release date: October 13, 2020

Hardware Requirements: RAM requirement 4GB. Big Sur is the first OS to support new Macs using ARM technology (in the future).

Features

Free Apps For Macbook Air

• The biggest design refresh since macOS X.
• Support for new ARM processors.
• Safar improved performance and power consumption.
• Time Machine supports backup to APFS volumes.
• One-click translation for 7 languages.
• Redesigned maps

Software Compatibility Issues

Only 64-bit apps are allowed to run on Big Sur.

How to install

There are two ways to install Big Sur: enable automatic updates in System Preferences or download by using the following link.

Or check my post with tips on installing macOS on unsupported devices.

List of Apple computers compatible with macOS Big Sur

• MacBook (2015 and later)
• MacBook Air (2013 and later)
• MacBook Pro (2013 and later)
• Mac mini (2014 and later)
• iMac models (2014 and later)
• iMac Pro (2017 and later)
• Mac Pro (2013 and later)

macOS 10.15 Catalina

Release date: October 7, 2019

Hardware Requirements: RAM requirement increased from 2GB to 4GB.

Features

• Introduced Sidecar, which allows for Macs to use an iPad as an external display.
• iTunes was replaced by separate apps: Music, Podcasts, and TV.
• Find My Mac and Find My Friends have merged into one app.

Software Compatibility Issues

macOS Catalina is the first Mac operating system that does not support 32-bit applications. Only 64-bit apps are allowed to run on Catalina.

How to install

There are two ways to install Catalina: enable automatic updates in System Preferences or download by using the following link.

List of Apple computers compatible with macOS Catalina

• MacBook (Early 2015 or later)
• MacBook Air (Mid 2012 or later)
• MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 or later)
• Mac mini (Late 2012 or later)
• iMac models (Late 2012 or later)
• iMac Pro (All models)
• Mac Pro (Late 2013)

macOS 10.14 Mojave

Release date: September 24, 2018

Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 18.5GB free space on disk

Features

• The main feature of Mojave is “Dark Mode”
• FaceTime adds group feature which allows chatting with up to 32 people
• News, Stocks, Voice Memos, and Home apps were ported from iOS to Mac.

How to install

If your Mac is eligible to update to Mojave, then the easiest way to install it is by enabling automatic updates. Downloading a standalone Mojave installer could be a little tricky.

List of Apple computers compatible with macOS Mojave

• MacBook (Early 2015 or later)
• MacBook Air (Mid 2012 or later)
• MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 or later)
• Mac mini (Late 2012 or later)
• iMac (Late 2012 or later)
• iMac Pro (All models)
• Mac Pro (Late 2013 and 2010-2012 models with upgraded GPU)

macOS 10.13 High Sierra

Release date: September 25, 2017

Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 14.3GB free space on disk

Features

• APFS (Apple File System) becomes the default file system in High Sierra. It’s a significant upgrade from the older HFS+ in terms of speed, size, and security
• iCloud support of Messages which allows sync messages of the account across multiple devices
• Mail app uses 35% less storage space due to optimizations

List of Apple computers compatible with macOS High Sierra

• MacBook (Late 2009 or newer)
• MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)
• MacBook Air (Late 2010 or newer)
• Mac mini (Mid 2010 or newer)
• iMac (Late 2009 or newer)
• Mac Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)

How to install

Here is a High Sierra download link.

macOS 10.12 Sierra

This is the first macOS version. Previous OS versions for Macs were called OS X (X stands for 10).

Release date: September 20, 2016

Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 8GB free space on disk

Features

• Siri was introduced to Macs
• Optimized storage with iCloud sync
• Auto-lock feature allows unlocking MacBook with paired Apple Watch
• APFS preview available
• Disk Utility can manage RAID sets again
• Significant security improvements

How to install

Here is a Sierra download link.

List of Apple computers compatible with macOS Sierra

• MacBook (Late 2009 or newer)
• MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)
• MacBook Air (Late 2010 or newer)
• Mac mini (Mid 2010 or newer)
• iMac (Late 2009 or newer)
• Mac Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)

OS X 10.11 El Capitan

Last OS X version.

Release date: September 30, 2015

Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 8GB free space on disk

Features

• System Integrity Protection – a security feature that protects even when the root user executes the process
• Performance improvements: open PDF files four times faster, Mail is twice faster, launching apps 40% faster
• Notes app similar to the app in iOS

Macs compatible with OS X El Capitan

same as OS Mountain Lion.

How to install

Here is El Capitan download link.

OS X 10.10 Yosemite

Release date: October 16, 2014

Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 8GB free space on disk

Macs compatible with OS X Yosemite

Same as OS Mountain Lion.

Features

• Major user design overhaul
• Introduction of Handoff and Continuity features
• Photos app replaced iPhoto and Aperture

How to install

Here is Yosemite download link.

OS X 10.9 Mavericks

First free Mac OS. Previous OS versions vary from $19.99 to $129.

Release date: October 22, 2013

Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 8GB free space on disk

Features

• Compressed Memory feature automatically compresses inactive apps when approaching maximum memory capacity
• Timer coalescing is a feature that reduces CPU usage by up to 72 percent
• App Nap puts apps that are not currently visible to sleep

Macs compatible with OS X Mavericks

Same as OS Mountain Lion.

How to install

OS X Mavericks installer is not available on Apple Site. Follow instructions here to install Mavericks.

OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion

Must be purchased. Fixed many bugs introduced in OS X Lion.

Release date: July 25, 2012

System Requirements: 2GB RAM and 8GB free space on disk

Features

Best Free Mac Apps 2015 List

• New apps: Notification Center, Notes, Messages, Game Center
• AirPlay mirroring allowed to mirror Mac screen to Apple TV
• Application updates automatically install from the App Store

List of Apple computers compatible with OS X Mountain Lion

• iMac (Mid-2007 or newer)
• MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer)
• MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
• MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
• Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
• Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)
• Xserve (Early 2009)

How to install

Mountain Lion installer is not available on Apple Site. Follow instructions here to install OS X Mountain Lion.

Free Mac Apps Downloads

List of older Mac OS Versions

Following Mac OS versions are still running on older Macs, but Apple does not support them anymore, and there is no point to upgrade (or downgrade) to them:

• OS X 10.7 Lion
• OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
• Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
• Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
• Mac OS X 10.3 Panther
• Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar
• Mac OS X 10.1 Puma
• Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah